“Instead of biding your time for a promotion opportunity to materialize, you need to design a brand-new role for yourself in your department or company that makes so much sense your bosshasto say yes when you pitch it. Too often women wait around to be picked.”
“Do you have a proposal already?”
“Yes—I’ve drafted an outline, three sample chapters, and a section called Why This Book.”
She smiles. “Terrific. What about a title?”
“I have a great one in mind,” I say. “I’ll include it with the proposal—if I can send it over?”
“Of course, I’d love to see it,” she says, and smiles, seeming to appreciate that I’m holding the title back for now.
As I finish typing her email address into my phone, I notice a man across the room catch her eye, and she lifts her chin in acknowledgment.
“My husband is signaling that he’s ready to go,” she says, “but it’s been nice speaking to you, Kiki. I’ll keep an eye out for your proposal.”
We both rise from the couch, and I thank Daphne enthusiastically. After she’s left, I need a moment to take it all in. If I end up writing and publishing a book, I’ll surely be able to attract additional clients, and also secure more talks at conferences and company events, something I not only enjoy doing but that also pays exceptionally well. Beyond that, I simply love the idea of sharing what I’ve learned with as many women as possible.
And yet as good as I feel, there’s been a hum of anxiety running through me since hearing Jamie’s conversation with Sam.
As I leave the solarium, I notice the crowd has thinned and that people are bunched in the hall, preparing to depart. From the open front door comes the distant sound of cars pulling out of the field on the other side of the barn. It’s time for me to go as well, though first I need to thank my hosts.
I wander through the rooms and eventually spot Ava through the doorway into the kitchen, but she appears to be talking to the caterer. There’s no sign of Vic, or either Jamie or the woman he came with, which is a relief. They must have left for the night.
I eventually end up back in the solarium, a room that is now empty except for one person, whom I realize too late is Jamie. He’s staring out at the darkness through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and his expression is close to grim. For a second, my heart forgets to beat.
“I thought you’d gone,” I say.
He turns and looks at me, his face blank.
“Nope, still here,” he says, coolly. “Tori grabbed me at the last minute to discuss birthday gift ideas for my uncle.”
“What about your date?” I can’t believe I’m asking him that, but part of me just wants to know that things are okay for him.
“If you could call her that,” he says dismissively. “She’s long gone by now.”
I wonder if she bolted because he was ignoring her, something that seemed out of character for someone as considerate as Jamie.
“And speaking of going, I need to head out as well,” he adds. “Are you staying here at the house?”
“No, I’m at the Salisbury Inn.” I take a deep breath, summoning my nerve. “Jamie, I’m sorry about tonight. I hope my being here didn’t upset you. When Ava first invited me, she said you’d be out of town and—”
“Don’t worry about it, Kiki. We were bound to run into each other at some point.”
And yet he’d told Sam he didn’t want me here tonight, and that I should have been aware of that fact.
“Do—do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive me?”
He shrugs. “Of course. People fall out of love. I don’t hold that against you.”
“You mean that?”
“I’m sure you could see it hurt like hell when you broke the news, but I’m over the worst of it. Life goes on.” He tugs his mouth to the side in the smallest of half smiles. “I even got a rebound haircut.”
It’s clear he’s not going to confess how he really feels about me, and I’m hardly going to admit what I overheard.
“It’s a nice haircut,” I say feebly. “It suits you.”
“Good.... I’ve already said goodbye to Ava and Vic, so I think I’ll slip out the door here. My car’s out behind the barn.”
